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Blackhawk Loop Trail The Blackhawk Trail is a narrow singletrack that twists through aspen and pine along the top of the Nebo Loop in Payson Canyon. Almost unknown, this trail is among the nicest alpine rides in the state. Chris rides towards Mount Nebo on a breathtaking fall day. This photo is available as wallpaper. Photo October 9, 2002 by Bruce |
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| The Nebo Loop is famous for its
beautiful trees and mountain vistas -- especially in late September to early October when
the red maples and golden aspens draw Sunday-afternoon gawkers from around the state.
Elevation is 8000 feet.
The loop we describe here (18 miles) is for very strong riders but requires only good intermediate technical skills. You can make a shorter loop by connecting other trails in the area (see below). Dominic cruises the east side of Blackhawk near the Bennie Creek Ridge. |
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The big loop has only 800 feet of elevation change, but you do it
three times! You'll need strong thighs, plenty of water, and a Powerbar or two.
Shorter options are offered below, with additional information on the Rock
Springs Loop page.
View from the top of the trail, looking north into Utah Valley. Utah Lake is in the center. Photo October 26, 1999. |
From the Loafer Mountain trailhead, you roll down 0.15 miles, where you take the right fork to the Blackhawk Trial. You'll climb 1.5 miles through aspen, maples, and pines to Bennie Creek Ridge. Dropping over the back side, it's up and down through meadows, springs, and small creeks until you reach Blackhawk Campground at mile 4.75. In June, the meadows of the trail are filled with mule's ear flowers. Photo received by email, 2005. |
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Go straight onto the double-track until you reach a paved road. Go
straight across to a single-track. Cross paved road again, and fork right in the middle of
the large meadow. At the next road, find the continuing trail at GPS N 39° 53.246' W
111° 37.557'.
OK, we're at Lizard Lake. Kinda pretty. The flowers will be blooming in a week or two. Photo June 5, 2006. |
Keep right at the next trail intersection. Next is a 4-way intersection. Straight ahead takes you up the hardest section of the trail, to the ridge at the top of the Nebo Loop. (Forking right takes you up to the Black Campground road, just off the Nebo Loop Road. From here, you can turn left to take paved road to the summit, or go straight across to the Bennie Creek Ridge Trail. This trail returns you to the Blackhawk Trail for a short loop of around 9 miles.) The Mad Scientist pauses
with faithful dog Jackie. |
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Turn left on pavement and ride over the crest of the Nebo Loop. After 2 miles, turn right on the gravel Santaquin Road. Exactly one mile later at GPS N 39° 54.398' W 111° 41.624', the Rock Springs Trail drops down on your right, taking you back east. Keep straight at all trail intersections.
Save some muscle to climb Done Ridge, the last mountain between you and your car. Then roll two delightful miles along the creek through beautiful aspens and pines. Again, keep straight at all trail intersections, (unless you want to visit Payson Lakes as an alternate return route). When you reach the Nebo Loop road, turn right and head uphill to your car. (There are a couple of alternate singletracks near the end of the trail. They all take you down to the road.)
Shorter loops can be constructed as follows: Blackhawk-Bennie Ridge Loop: After the Blackhawk Campground, keep right at the next two intersections. As you come up through the log fence, you encounter the campground road (the Nebo Loop road is about 1/4 mile to your left). Go straight across the pavement to the Bennie Ridge trail and run the ridge back to the Blackhawk trail. Length 9 miles. View of Payson Lake from the ridge top, on a spur off the main trail. October 26, 1999. |
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Tie Fork to Rock Spring: After Blackhawk, go right at the first intersection, straight at the second. Arriving at the Nebo Loop road at the ridgetop, go straight across to the singletrack trail (Tie Fork Spur). You'll join the Rock Spring trail near a gate at the ridgetop. Turn right, grind over Done Ridge, and run straight down the canyon. Length 13 miles.
East Rock Spring Trail: Another option to shorten the ride is to start the ride at the ranger station, joining the Blackhawk Trail via the connector east of the road. (This skips the whole Bennie Creek area.) When returning, go right on the continuing Rock Spring Trail, instead of left down the Jones Ranch Trail. Based on the tire tracks and wearing of the trail, MOST bikers on the Blackhawk Loop seem to select this option!
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You'll cross two sections where logging has occurred. It will be interesting to see how the soil recovers. Even with "minimal impact" environmentally-sensitive spot-logging, the amount of damage to understory and topsoil is surprising. But this is the price you pay to live in a house. Somebody's got to cut down trees somewhere! Logged section near Blackhawk campground. October 26, 1999. |
| Here are the same two stumps three years later, in September
2002. The understory is recovering well, but the area still appears
disturbed. No major erosion has occurred. The trail has firmed up in the
churned spots.
Near the gate at the south end of Blackhawk Campground, looking west. September 30, 2002.
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The trail is best in the fall. Snow clears in mid-June, but the many
sections stay wet with springs and bogs until late summer. Most of the creeks that cross
the trial have a solid base, but if you see deep horse hoof prints, you'd better bail and
walk. Typical meadow view along the trail. If you like a nice mix of pretty trees and meadows, this is the trail for you! September 30, 2002. |
| The geology of these mountains is a bit more complex than the rest of the Wasatch Front. From this area south to Nephi, a "thrust fault" -- an earthquake zone that pushes a block of land up and over-top of another -- shoved limestone of the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian Era (before the age of dinosaurs, when western Utah was covered by deep ocean, around 300 million years ago) over top of younger rocks. The younger rocks are actually turned upside-down. Later, the land to the west of the Wasatch Fault subsided, leaving the limestone high above the valley, forming the sharply-rising eastern mountains seen from American Fork to Payson. Rocks of the Triassic Era (the early age of dinosaurs, about 210-240 million years ago) are found on the eastern side of the Mt. Nebo area, while the front face is formed from the older limestones. | 
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| Riding notes, from the Loafer Mountain
Trailhead: 0.15 Fork R uphill through gate N 39° 56.497' W 111° 38.499' 1.5 Fork L downhill (R = out to road + Rock Springs Tr) N 39° 55.819' W 111° 37.822' 2.2 Keep straight as trail comes in from R N 39° 55.410' W 111° 37.574' 2.5 Fork L N 39° 55.147' W 111° 37.617' 4.7 Gate, Blackhawk Campground Continue to parking, cross road N 39° 53.568' W 111° 37.203' Trail always continues across pavement leaves CG at N 39° 53.246' W 111° 37.557' 5.9 Cross trail at top of ridge (R=down to road) N 39° 53.479' W 111° 37.788' 6.7 Fork R (L= to Beaver Dam Trail) N 39° 53.955' W 111° 38.085' 7.1 Straight at fork (R=road, L=Beaver Dam) N 39° 54.155' W 111° 38.337' 8.9 R on DT to road, turn left on road N 39° 53.824' W 111° 39.324' 10.4 Right on Santaquin Canyon Rd 11.4 Fork R on Rock Springs Trail N 39° 54.398' W 111° 41.624' 13.2 Keep straight (L=Schram Tr) 13.4 Straight (R=Lizard Lake Tr to Road) 14.2 Straight (R=Tie Fork or Frank Young Tr) 15.4 Fork L on on Jones Ranch Alternate loop = R = Rock Springs 17.0 At paved road, turn R uphill 17.8 Back at vehicle |
Getting there: Going south, take the Payson exit 250 from I-15 and turn left. Head into Payson on U-115 to the traffic light, then turn left (100 North, U-198). About 1/3 mile later, at the top of a small hill, turn right at 600 East. Drive 11.7 miles up the Nebo Loop Road to a small turnout on your left at GPS N 39° 56.447' W 111° 38.652', with a sign "Loafer Mountain Trail."
[Go to Trails Index Page] |
| Riding resources for this trail: Single-page riding guide GPS track files and route (right-click and "Save as..."): Garmin National Geographic Google Earth GPX |
Medium-res topo: View |
